Epic simile of Milton's ‘Paradise Lost' Book 1 | Sourav Omnibus | Paradise Lost

 

      Epic simile of Milton's  ‘Paradise Lost' Book 1

Simile is a definition of figure of speech that makes a comparison, sewing similarities between two different things. Unlike are metaphor, a simile draws resemblance with the help of the words "like" or "as". Therefore it is a direct comparison.

Epic simile are also known as Homeric simile. But Miltonic simile or epic simile of Milton are technical it different from Homeric simile. In paradise lost Milton uses Epic simile to intensify the effect. But before Milton used Epic simile in his 'Paradise lost' Homer ( Iliad), Virgil ( Aeneid) Lucan ( Pharsalia), Tasso ( Jerusalem Delivered), Spenser ( The Faerie Queen ) and other had already used in their epics.

J.H. Hansford says that “ a striking features of Milton’s style in Paradise Lost  is his use of the epic or expanded simile” (A Milton Handbook).

In Paradise Lost (Book I),the action takes places in Hell and the action resolves round Satan. However, Milton’s simile compare Hell  Satan with early things for phenomenon notwithstanding his mythological ,Biblical or Historical resources. Therefore,  the similes temporarily suspended the narrative in order to provide internal commenting on the character and incidents. Milton also chooses for comparison things also outside human experience, like - things remote,  fabulous mythological,  Historical , Biblical or natural. Does we found the similes in 'Paradise Lost', e.g. "Leviathan simile", "Satan's shield and spear", "Vallambrosa simile", "Sedge simile", "Pigmies simile" etc.

In 'Paradise List' , in the first epic similes Satan's huge physic lying in the lake of fire in Hell is compared to Leviathan, the sea beast :  "Leviathan, which god of all his works/ Created you just that swim the ocean stream." (201- 202).

Leviathan was so huge sized that when it ley  asleep on the foam on the Norwegian sea,  the pilots of the benighted  skiffs  mistook  him for some Island. After describing the enormous size of the leviathan  Milton focuses on the gigantisms  of the Hellish  world which leads Satan. The effect  is not only to bring out Satan structure but also the falseness of appearance and deception.

The next comparison is between Satan's huge shield and spear with the moon and the tallest pine respectively. Satan’s silt is compared to moon as seen through Galileo's telescope. The spear of Satan is compared to the tallest pine with appears to be a want or small stick, for instance we may quote few lines :  “….. the broad circumstances / Hung on his shoulders like the moon , whose orb / through optic Glass the Tuscan artist views.” ( Book1, line- 286-288).

 Such  similes suggest on one hand the size of the weapon  and on the other hand, the huge size  of Satan  who holds it. In 'Odyssey', ix, 322, Homer makes the club of Polyphemus as big as the mast of a ship , and in 'Aeneid', iii, 659, Virgil gives him a pine to walk with.

The third comparison is between the fallen Angels and the autumnal leaves that are strewn the rook called Vallombrosa.: “ His Legions, Angels  Forms, who lay intranc'd / Thick as Autumnal Leaves that strow the Brooks / In Vallombrosa……” (I, 300-302 ).

Like many of Milton's similes,  this is an adoption of an established epic comparison. Homer's Iliad has compared multitude to countless leaves and flowers. Vigil has applied the comparison to the thronging ghost in Hades ('Aeneid', vi, 310)  and made  them autumn leaves falling  to the ground with the first frost. Milton adapts to a different kind of spiritual beings in a different situation. The significance of the simile is that it suggest the Boston number of the fallen Angels and the sense of confusion in which they lie. It also suggest they are lost glory. This comparison of the fallen Angels with the leaves is further extended by comparing the fallen Angels to sedges or sea seed,  which float on the Red-sea. In the Red-sea the Egyptian soldiers were drowned, and there dead bodies and broken chariot will remained afloat (L.305- 311). Similarly, comparison of the fallen Angels with the doomed Egyptian soldiers brings out, as F.T. Prince comments, “ the plight of the Satan's followers”. In some similes the face of Saturn is compared to the eclipse of sun 592 -597). Therefore, the comparison of Saturn with eclipse refers to the fallen condition of Satan.

The next simile is Pigmies'  simile. Milton uses to similes to convey the idea of the smallest size of the transformed Angels. He fast compares them to the pygmies who lived beyond the Indian mount. Next he compares them to the fairies and elves. The second comparison is a grant example of the Epic simile. Milton has compared the transformed Angels to the fairies and the elves  with the respect to  size,  but the simile  travels beyond the point of the comparison and gives a picture of The midnight revelries of the fairies and the moon and the peasant’s enchantment by them.( L. 779- 783).

Some similes compare the fallen Angels with bees in summer, crowds, crowds that gather during tournaments, fairies , elves and dwarfs. Daiches rightly says : “ Milton’s epic similes have an important function in the poem as providing the only link between cosmic scenery of the epic and the world of ordinary men in their day-to-day activities throughout all of history and geography”.

It is in the completeness of its correspondence with the object that Miltonic  simile is most unique and the best demonstrates the control which the poet exercised over his artistic imagination to conclude with CS Lewis who observes: “…. Heaven and earth are ransacked for simile and illusion that is not done for display but in order to guide our imagination with unobtrusive pressure  into the channels where the weight wishes them to flow. The learning which reader requires is responding to a given allusion does  not equal the learning Milton needed to find it”.

 

 

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 

1.     Singha, M.N., Evergreen Leaves of English Poetry, Kolkata , Krishnendu Prakashani , 2015.

2.     WWW.JSTOR.Org/ Lewis, CS , A Perfect to Paradise Lost,  John Milton, Paradise Lost.

3.     Milton, Paradise Lost , Book I,  ( ed.) John T. Shawcross, Milton: The Critical Heritage , 1732 – 1801.

4.     Milton, Paradise Lost , Book I,  ( ed.) John Broadbent, Paradise Lost : Introduction,

5.      Matthew Albright, author of Classic Note. Completed on May 11, 2000.